Blogs - what are they?

A couple of years ago, the Internet was buzzing with a new phenomenon – ‘blogging’ – and although other technologies are emerging, blogging has become an important feature of the World Wide Web and is an integral part of other emergent Internet trends such as social network services and RSS feeds.

Firstly, what is a ‘blog’? The word ‘blog’ is short for ‘weB LOG’ and can be thought of as an online diary or forum, where the author can convey thoughts on any subject he or she chooses. In fact, blogs evolved from newsgroups (or moderated forums), when users began to post in a more consistent, serialised style.

Prior to 2004, blogs were the preserve of dedicated net users, but with the emergence of blogging tools (blogger.com was set up in 1999), blogging became a credible means of disseminating information and it soon became mainstream.

The real appeal of a blog is that you can publish your thoughts on any given topic immediately and respond to an event literally as it is happening. Added to that the fact that people can respond, by posting follow-up comments and it’s easy to see why people have fallen in so quickly and why blogging is, in some ways, at the heart of the social networking boom now sweeping the Net.

In May 2007, 71 million blogs were being tracked by Technorati (blog search engine).  And in that figure we can immediately see the downside; with so many blogs out there, which ones should you read? And, perhaps more importantly, what do you write about and how do you ensure yours gets read?

To tackle the first question, the clue lies in the mechanisms by which blogs truly come to life.  In the early days, many bloggers gained widespread recognition through word-of-mouth.  Nowadays, however, with RSS feeds and bookmarking sites (del.icio.us, Digg, etc.), you can select which blogs you want to read and automatically get updated entries, each time your favourite blogger posts online. The interactive technology underpinning Web 2.0 also means that it's easy to integrate these feeds into your browser or other RSS reader (e.g. Google Reader).

It's easy, then, once you have found the content you want to subscribe to blogs, but if you want to blog, what do you write about and how do you ensure that your blog is reaching as many people as possible?

To answer the 'what', you can write about whatever you like.  Some people are happy to post on random thoughts, whilst others post on a theme, e.g. technology, politics, news items, etc.

But businesses have also seen the valus of blogging and in the business world, blogging is now seen as a bona fide and important way of communicating with the customer base. Google, Microsoft and Skype all have blogs on myriad subject.  It provides accessibility for customers and facilitates the exchange of ideas and feedback, much more so than submitting an online form, which just issues you with a confirmatory email (and then probably never gets read). 

As for how to reach as many people as possible, there are no guarantees, but there are measures to increase the likelihood your blog will be read.  Firstly, tell your friends and colleagues and get them to read and post comments.  Try to find other like-minded bloggers and link to posts you find interesting.  In this way, it may be possible to have your blog site included on other bloggers' lists ('blogrolls', as they are called) and they will start to include links back to your posts. 'Permalinks' are permanent hyperlinks that link to a blog post, even after it has moved off the front page, meaning a blog post can be found days, weeks or months later.  If you are unsure about starting a blog, you may be more comfortable posting on a (business) social networking site, such as ecademy.com, where you likely to a more receptive audience for your ideas and thoughts.

Whatever you choose as subject matter, it may sound obvious, but content is paramount - and this applies to any kind of writing.  If in business, write about what you know, but think about what you are writing; do not be tempted to post as a knee-jerk reaction, as others will quickly take you to task ('flaming' as it is known).  Remember a business blog is an extension of your company and its ethos and, as such, will reflect on your company and those responsible for the content. Ideally, content should be proof-read and approved prior to publication.  And it goes without saying that well-written content will engage the reader and encourage to read your other posts - and future posts.

Blogging software means that it’s easier than ever to start writing a blog and you don't necessarily need a PC, as it is now possible to blog from handheld devices, including mobile phones.  In this way, it is possible to add content to 'video-logs' (vlogs) or photologs, where the content is obviously visual. 

The immediacy of blogging and the way it lets people communicate is changing the nature of the Internet.  In future articles, we will look at how blogging can benefit your business, as well as techniques and guidance for successful blogging.